I'll admit, the craziness at work and general transportation issues I've had on my off days set the ship date back a week longer than I intended, but it's finally moving along.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evshrug
OnePunch, eBay is your best chance. If you like Dolby Headphone and chat mixing, the older Mixamp is your best shot. Minus the chat mixing, you can save a lot of money buying a Turtle Beach DSS. For something in-between that uses THX TruStudio Pro instead of Dolby and can also double as a USB soundcard for a PC, another solid option is Creative's Sound Blaster Recon3D USB, which NamelessPFG is trying to sell for $70. You can't mix chat using a DSS or Recon3D, BUT if you're playing CoD and you have a mic directly plugged into your Xbox controller, if you want chat audio louder you can turn UP the volume on your surround processor and DOWN the game volume by hitting start during a match and going to Options.

I probably should sell my AD700 cuz money is tight and I have the Q701, but...

Except you CAN mix in voice chat using a Recon3D USB with both the X360 and PS3. There's an extension cord with an additional port that connects to an X360 pad's headset port, and the microUSB port that powers the whole thing also handles PS3 voice chat. The Ear Force DSS bafflingly offers neither option, to my knowledge.

The catch is that you can't adjust the game/voice volume ratio from the device itself like you could with a Mixamp, which is a strange oversight given that they've come this far already.

Second gen (2011) wired. Good, least noise, and most likely the best bet for wired until the newest generation gets its bugs wired out.

Wait, that's the 2011 mixamp? That's what mine looks like, but I got it in Mar 2010. And my optical has a flap door instead of the plug, which is a feature of the 2009 version. Do I have some transitional model between the two?

Except you CAN mix in voice chat using a Recon3D USB with both the X360 and PS3. There's an extension cord with an additional port that connects to an X360 pad's headset port, and the microUSB port that powers the whole thing also handles PS3 voice chat. The Ear Force DSS bafflingly offers neither option, to my knowledge.

The catch is that you can't adjust the game/voice volume ratio from the device itself like you could with a Mixamp, which is a strange oversight given that they've come this far already.

Well, yeah, and it includes the cables to do it too. It mixes the chat audio into the headphone port, separating out the mic-input so you can just plug-in any old 3.5mm microphone, however it doesn't offer the ability to "mix" the balance of game/chat volume. Overall though, "mixing" the volume balance is a moot point with CoD, because the game itself lets you do that. I personally wouldn't spend an extra $30-$50 just to change game/chat balance in the one game that doesn't offer software control, especially since no device levels out the volume of whisperers and shouters Connected to PC though, you do have that mixing control, plus the Recon3D has 3 gain settings for the mic to adjust how loud YOU are to others, in addition to adjusting Windows' mic sensitivity.

Wait, that's the 2011 mixamp? That's what mine looks like, but I got it in Mar 2010. And my optical has a flap door instead of the plug, which is a feature of the 2009 version. Do I have some transitional model between the two?

I think everyone just refers to it as the 2011 model. It has the optical input on the back with the flap. The 2013 is the only one which doesn't use the standard toslink and uses the mini toslink 3.5mm plug.

hey everyone. so, i'm looking into buying some headphones and a mixamp for a mix of gaming and movie/tv watching.

i'll probably use them about 65% gaming/35% movie/tv watching. i play fps games, but not competitively, but i would like to be able to play better with the help of positional cues and such. i mostly play more atmospheric games to be honest. also, i don't want to have to buy an amp, so i'm looking to buy a pair of earphones that are easily driven just with the mixamp. i'm already 99% percent decided on buying the mixamp 5.8, since i'd rather not be wired up. the headphones i'm interested in are the dt 990, the ad700, and possibly the pc360's.

my questions:

- if i were to get the dt 990 pro's, which ohm version would be the best to use without an amp?

- i've read a lot about the ad700's being big/uncomfortable. i don't have a very large head, and pretty small ears, so would this be a concern? any way to remedy the comfort issues?

- are the pc360's way too bass light to use for non-competitive gaming/movies?

I'd pass on the AD700 if you're looking to be immersed into single player games or movies... They're the lightest on bass of the three, by far. DT 990's a good choice but it's gonna require an amp regardless of which one you get. I think it's worth considering the HD 558 + a Modmic, cheaper than the PC360 and they're a little more fun judging by most accounts.Edited by Impulse - 2/6/13 at 8:22pm

Wait, that's the 2011 mixamp? That's what mine looks like, but I got it in Mar 2010. And my optical has a flap door instead of the plug, which is a feature of the 2009 version. Do I have some transitional model between the two?

I wouldn't be too surprised if they used the "door" model toslink input in the early production of the 2011 mixamp and went to the "door-less" when those were used up. Cost-wise the "door-less" should be cheaper to manufacture/purchase which would explain the change. Also keep in mind that the 2013 mixamp actually came out in late 2012, so model changes/years are not set in stone. (2011 mixamp back [with the door-less toslink]

Impulse: were you still planning on doing a review/frequency graph on the various mics? If so let me know... I'll gladly donate my labtec for the cause.

raisedbywolves,
If you go back just oooooooone page, I won't have to repeat myself breaking down the use of the AD700, pros and cons.

I wish someone would test an AKG 240 studio, with the AKG house sound, large circumaural pads (and no headband bumps), and extra bass, I have a feeling they could be a budget contender. But....... I haven't read any reviews on them except on Amazon and Headroom.

I would also suggest, overall, getting the lower-cost, non-headset version of the Sennheiser PC360, since you don't game competitively. You can just plug in a mic if you want to chat, a 2.5mm wired phone headset or cheap $2 lapel mic with a 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter will do just fine. I was actually complimented on the quality of my lapel mic tonight.

Impulse: were you still planning on doing a review/frequency graph on the various mics? If so let me know... I'll gladly donate my labtec for the cause.

Yeah I intend to, though my Modmic is an original v1 so I'm not sure how relevant it'd be for others... But I do wanna get one of the new ones once they've got the muting option. I imagine the comparison vs the Zalman (or Labtec) should be of interest to others who may have it already.

I wouldn't be too surprised if they used the "door" model toslink input in the early production of the 2011 mixamp and went to the "door-less" when those were used up. Cost-wise the "door-less" should be cheaper to manufacture/purchase which would explain the change. Also keep in mind that the 2013 mixamp actually came out in late 2012, so model changes/years are not set in stone. (2011 mixamp back [with the door-less toslink]

Yeah, I suppose that makes sense, similar to how next years model of cars comes out in the preceding year.

Neat to know I have a 2011 then, despite still having the channel imbalance. Astro says it'll be approximately $50 to fix + cost to ship to them. I'm probably going to pay, though I want to try a different optical cable first to make sure that's not the problem. Can optical cables even partially fail, or is it a case of they either work or they don't; no in-between?

Yeah, I suppose that makes sense, similar to how next years model of cars comes out in the preceding year.

Neat to know I have a 2011 then, despite still having the channel imbalance. Astro says it'll be approximately $50 to fix + cost to ship to them. I'm probably going to pay, though I want to try a different optical cable first to make sure that's not the problem. Can optical cables even partially fail, or is it a case of they either work or they don't; no in-between?

Optical cables send a digital signal, in this case it isn't L and R, it is Dolby Digital, so your answer is no.

Still, I know I've accidentally stepped on the optical once or twice in the past (since it runs along the floor to the couch), so for peace of mind, I plan to try a different optical connection. I might even bypass my receiver altogether and just go straight from the console to the mixamp to see if there's any difference. Don't wanna spend the money to repair it unless I absolutely have to!

EDIT: Has anyone ever used the coaxial on the mixamp? Is it comparable to optical? I read something once that said sending a digital signal over analog can slightly compromise it. Coaxial's RCA connection sure is more stable than the optical, though.

They should sound the same. Digital coaxial connections tend to have less jitter than optical cables and is the preferred method, however, that is assuming the source is a digital coaxial source. Using an optical to digital coaxial converter gains zero benefit and may add jitter, so it's best to use optical in that situation. I use the digital coaxial input as my secondary input if I have more than one optical source (I.e. ps3 and 360).

Digital coaxial is just that, digital, so no degradation of quality unlike analog.Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 2/7/13 at 9:00am